Season 6 as it should have been
by selenepotter
Summary: re-write of GoT starting at the end of Season 5. All the characters who have already died will stay dead.
1. Chapter 1 Stanis

Confession: I have not read the books. But I have read lots of fan-fiction and discussions of them, so I have some idea what is in them. Because I didn't read the books, I liked the 5th season, and only thought it started to go bad in the 6th season. I first noticed that there were lines like "apologize for what you are about to see" or "I'm going to break the wheel" which seemed to be only in the episode because they sounded awesome in the preview. Then, after making us watch people in season 3 take a whole season to travel partway across the continent, suddenly everybody was teleporting everywhere. When the book readers accused Ramsey of having plot armor, I didn't see it. But I did see it later, when characters had fights to the death and neither of them died. The worst example is when Bron aimed the scorpion at Drogon. Either Bron or Drogon should have died. A few minutes later, Jamie charged with a lance and neither He nor Denyries or Drogon died. But then, a teen showed me what was really going on. He didn't watch the show at all. But he and his friends would go on You Tube and watch the "cool" moments out of context. So he knew "Hold the Door", but had no understanding of what a tragic moment this was. And that was what the last half of the show was: a series of "cool" scenes that would look good out of context, strung together. And the recent interview that the show-runners did about the 1st season makes it clear that they had no understanding at all of what the show was about. The early seasons were good in spite of them, because of Martin's writing. Chekov wrote that a basic rule of drama is that: if a gun is fired in the 3rd act, it must be shown in the 1st act. In the later seasons, we were shown lot of guns that were never fired, and lots of guns were fired, that had not been shown previously. I had to re-watch Babylon 5 in order to recover from the way GoT ended. (In Babylon 5 you are shown lots of guns in the first season and even more so, in the pilot. They all get fired by the end) I used to highly recommend GoT to my friends. Now I tell them to only watch the first 5 seasons, and make up their own ending.

So, I am starting at the end of season 5 and rewriting it. Lots of characters were dead at this point and I am not bringing them back. Stanis, Selyse, Shireen, the Hound, the Mountain, Myrcella, Jon, Sansa, Theon, all dead and not coming back to life. I don't hate Sansa. But she and Theon jumped off the wall only moments after we were show that falling off the wall killed Myranda. So I am working with what happened. Also, I am not going to re-tell things that are just like the show. So in Essos, things will be very similar to cannon, and I will not be retelling that. Same with the Sparrows in Kings landing. I will focus on what makes this story different than the show.

Season 6: Chapter 1

Ramsey Bolton rode through the forrest following his hounds as they hunted down the stragglers from King Stanis' army. In preparation for this, he had not fed the hounds in days, making them eager to attack and devour living anyone they came across. The baying of the hounds had quieted, indicating that they had killed their prey and were feeding now, Ramsey and his men rode in the direction he had last heard them. When they arrived, the hounds were tearing apart a freshly killed body and as one of the hounds bit into the face, Ramsey thought he recognized it.

"Back! Back!" yelled Ramsey as he leaped off his horse and pulled the hounds off the body. The head was already detached from the body and he could tell that it had been cut with a sword, not ripped off by the teeth of his hounds. He picked it up and gazed at the head of Stanis Baratheon. Why would one his men kill Stanis and not report it. It had to be someone else? But who? It can't be a Wildling. They're all on the other side of The Wall. Even if there were Wildings in these Woods, why would they kill someone that he wanted to die?

Ramsey whistled, giving his hounds permission to finish eating the body of Stanis as he took the Head and climbed back on his horse. He turned to Alfred, who was one his men.

"Keep hunting the stragglers," commanded Ramsey as he held up Stanis' head. "I'm going back to show this to Lord Bolton."

Ramsey rode back to Winterfell through the battlefield where the muleskinners were looting the bodies and dragging them into piles to be burned. As he approached the gates of Winterfell. His Father, Lord Roose Bolton, was waiting for him with an even grimmer than usual expression.

"Did you enjoy yourself, hunting down the stragglers?" growled Lord Roose in a condescending tone.

"I certainly did! Look!" cheered Ramsey has he tossed his father the Head of Stanis.

Lord Bolton frowned at the head as he gazed into its' eyes.

"Stanis Baratheon . . . Well at least you have done one thing right," grumbled Lord Bolton. "Come with me. I want to show you something . . ."

Ramsey dismounted and followed his father around the outside of the castle. They walked around the outside of Winterfell until they turned a corner and he saw them . . . the bodies of his wife and Reek.

"You played your games with Theon, and now Balon Greyjoy no longer has an heir. You played your games with Sansa and now you no longer have a wife; a wife that could have given you an heir, that was also the heir to the Starks." growled Lord Bolton. "Clearly, I have given you too much leeway. With Lady Walda pregnant, perhaps she will soon give me an heir. Or maybe she will give me a daughter that I can wed to the missing Stark boys, if they are ever found. But I can not take that chance." said Lord Bolton as he looked again at the head of Stanis. "But this makes up for a lot. Perhaps if we send this to King's Landing, the Lannister's will continue to support our claim to the North? . . . But the Lannisters are very far away. . . . Ramsey, listen to me! The rest of the North is still loyal to the Starks! If we do not get some Stark blood into our family, sooner or later, some one who does, will lead a rebellion against us! And now that Sansa is dead . . . . if only Arya Stark were still alive. She would make a good match for you."

"How about the Karstarks?" asked Ramsey.

"Yes . . ." mused Lord Bolton. "They have a daughter about your age, Alyce. That just might do the trick . . . But if I arrange a match for you with her, you will not play your games with her like you did Sansa Stark. Save your games for the small folk. And speaking of which, your mistress, appears to have also fallen off the castle walls, only on the inside."

Ramsey's breath hitched as he learned of the death of his favorite hunting and fuck buddy.

GoT6

As Ellaria and Theme were brought before Lord Doran Martell, she noticed that Areo Hotah was not the only guard protecting him. There was a score of knights waiting for them. Two of them seized each of the Sand Snakes and held them before their Lord.

"Did you think I wouldn't find out?" Seethed Doran, as he gazed up at them from his chair. "The day after I warned you about this, you give Mycella the Long Goodbye. Do you have any idea how many of my plans you have ruined? Myrcella Waters would have made a great hostage to hold over the Lannisters! But we can't do that anymore because you have poisoned her! I received a raven From Jamie Lannister's ship. The Lord Paramount of the Westlands and uncle of the King, has sworn vengeance against us! He also says that he would have killed Trystane in retaliation, but Obara and Nymeria got to him first!"

Ellaria Sand smirked at him.

"He also says that your daughters have been put to the sword by the Lannisters on the ship," growled Doran, as Ellaria and her daughter's face fell. "I'm done with you." said Doran as he motioned to Areo Hotah.

Lord Martell's sworn man swung his axe and decapitated Theme Sand.

"No!" screamed Ellaria Sand, in grief at her daughter's death, before Areo Hotah removed her head too.

GoT6

Small Jon Umber strode through the halls of Last Hearth with a purpose. When he arrived at the door with two guards who were not allowed to see the prisoners, they turned away so that would not be able to see who was inside as their Lord entered. These were very special guests. If the Bolton's found out who he had here, they would see it as treason. So only one servant was allowed in to feed them and clean after them, and she was sworn to secrecy on the lives of her entire family. Small Jon entered and gazed a Rickon Stark, his Wildling nanny, Osha, and the boy's dire wolf.

"I got a raven from the wall and I thought you might like to know," began Lord Umber. "Remember me telling you about how your bastard brother got elected Lord Commander of the Night's Watch?"

"Jon, right?" asked Rickon. "I don't remember him very well"

"Yeah, well it seems he let the Wildings through The Wall and the other members of the Night's Watch executed him for treason. I'm sorry son, your brother's dead."

"It's a'right if ya wanna cry little Lord" soothed Osha as she hugged her.

"No. I don't need to," replied Rickon. "I barely even knew him. I'm just sad that I'm the last Stark."

"Ya don' think your brother Bran is still alive?" asked Osha.

"I'd like to. But he probably died by now, or I would have heard from him," replied Rickon, as one of the Ravens flew up to the window and cawed at him, before flying away.

"There is other news too," added Lord Umber. "After your brother died, the Wildings took over The Wall and executed the men who killed your brother. The Wildings have control of The Wall now. But there must be some Night's Watch left to write the message and send the raven. Anyway, I'm sorry for your loss. I'll leave you alone for now."

As Lord Small Jon Umber left the room, he wondered what he would do. His family had been loyal to the Starks for thousands of years. He couldn't give that up could he? On the other hand. Lord Rickon Stark, being rightful Lord of Winterfell, was grave threat to the Boltons and their hold on the North. He was sure the Boltons would see his sheltering or the Stark boy as treason. Still, the Bolton Heir had married Sansa Stark. He was certain the future Lady of Winterfell would not want anything to happen to her brother.


	2. Chapter 2: Smalljon's decision

Season 6: Chapter 2

Briene of Tarth and her squire, Podrick Paine, had been dodging the Bolton hunters for weeks now. It was difficult covering your tracks when the ground was covered in snow. Frequently they had to take a branch and carefully smooth out the snow to conceal their presence. Occasionally, they were spotted by one of the squads of men that roamed the forrest hunting for stragglers from Stanis' army. When that happened, Briene and Pod could leave no witnesses. So in spite of the fact that the stragglers had long since either escaped or been caught, the Boltons kept sending men to search the forrest. The occasional squad that didn't return was proof to the Boltons that Stanis still had people out here.

Briene halted her horse on the edge of a stream and Pod waved a a branch in the snow trying to disguise their prints. As she gazed at the not quite frozen stream, Briene was thankful that they had horses. if they didn't they would have to wade through it. And if they did that fully clothed they would surely die of exposure. She considered that it would be possible to strip down, hold their clothes over their heads, then get dressed on the other side. But they had horses, thank the Seven. A distant snapped twig brought her out of her wool gathering. A lone person was walking through the forest.

"Come on Podrick," hissed Briene as she spurred her horse to a gallop.

She didn't have to ride far before she spotted him a lone man with a woodcutting axe. She could tell by his clothes that he was one of the small folk. Perhaps she wouldn't have to kill him to keep him silent. She pulled her horse to a stop before him.

"The North remembers," said Briene.

The man smiled and replied: "Aye. The North remembers. So are you the ghost milady?"

"What ghost," asked Briene.

"There's been trouble in these woods for the Bolton men ever since that battle," replied the man. "Some say it's the ghost of Lady Stark"

"Didn't Lady Stark die at the Red Wedding?" asked Briene, while not giving away any sign that she had spotted Pod in the distance behind the woodcutter. As they often do, he had gone the long way around and now was positioned to prevent the man's escape.

"No. I mean Lady Sansa," replied the man. "Even though she married Lord Bolton, she was born a Stark. An' as far as I'm concerned, she died a Stark. The North remembers."

"Wait. Sansa Stark is dead?" asked Briene, as she realized that she had failed in her quest.

"Aye. She an' Reek an' that Myranda bitch fell off a' the wall durin' the battle," replied the man.

"Don't tell anyone you saw me," commanded Briene, as she started to ride past him.

"A' course not!" called back the man. "If'n Lord Ramsey even suspected I know somethin' he'll flay me alive. So i don' know nothin'"

Pod fell in beside Briene as they started to ride away.

"Where are we going, my Lady?" asked Pod.

"South, Podrick," replied Briene. "Somewhere out there, Ayra Stark still lives. We need to find her. So we are going back to the Riverlands."

GoT6

Arienne Martell entered the balcony, overlooking the Water Gardens.

"You called for me father?" asked Arienne.

"Yes. I have some very bad news," replied Doran Martell. "You brother Trystane is dead. Killed by the Lannisters. They also killed your cousins."

"And you called me back to Sunspear to lead our Spears agains the Lannisters?" asked Arienne.

"No. Alone, we can not attack the Lannisters and succeed," replied Doran. "No. I have a different task for you. I have heard rumors that a Targaryan has obtained three dragons and used them to conquer the cities of Slaver's Bay. Sooner or later she will come back to Westeros. I want you to go there and pledge our forces to her when she returns."

"That is a far journey," mused Arienne. "And if the Lannisters attack while I am away?"

"We held off the Dragons. We can hold off the Lannisters," replied Doran.

GoT

It had taken a couple of weeks, but Lord Harald Karstark had arrived at Winterfell with his daughter, Alys. It had been years since he had been here, long before the Iron Born burned it in the War of Five Kings. It looked somewhat different, yet more the same. They, along with their retainers, were led into the great hall where there was an unfamiliar young man sitting in Lord Stark's seat.

"Who the hell are you?" asked Harald. "Where is Lord Bolton?"

"I am Lord Bolton," replied Ramsey. "Lord of Winterfell, the Dreadfort and Warden of the North."

"Last I heard, Roose Bolton was Warden of the North and you sure ain't him," sneered Harald.

"There were some stragglers from Stanis' army in the Wolfswood. Some of them even infiltrated the castle and slew my father and his wife. And since I, Ramsey Bolton, are the son of Roose Bolton, that makes me the Warden of the North, and your Liege Lord. Bend the knee, Lord Karstark, to your Lord."

Lord Harald Karstark glanced at his men and his daughter briefly to let them know and then they all kneeled.

"I kneel before the Warden of the North," said Harald before beginning the usual words of fealty. He wanted to make it clear who he thought he was kneeling before just in case this was some kind of trick.

After the swearing of fealty, Ramsey stepped down from his throne and approached Alys. He couldn't help noticing the resemblance to Sansa. But would she be a replacement for Sansa, or Myranda?

"So you're Alys Karstark?" asked Ramsey, as he kissed her hand. She giggled and looked down as she blushed. "I think you will make a fine Lady Bolton."

He then turned to look at the girl next to Alys, obviously a servant of some sort.

"And who is this?" asked Ramsey.

"This is my maid, Colleen Snow, she takes care of my Needs," replied Alys. "Though, since we are soon to be wed, I suppose she'll me take care of your Needs too."

It was subtle. Did Ramsey see Alys wink at him? He couldn't be sure. But one thing he had learned. Alys would be his replacement for Myranda, not Sansa.

The wedding took place that night in the Godswood. It was a typical Northern Wedding followed by a feast in the Great Hall. There was lots of music, dancing and toasts. As he sat at the High Table, Ramsey smugly thought on how lucky he was that the Karstarks bought his story that his Father and Sansa, had been killed by Stanis' men. None of the servants had let slip to the Karstarks how he had killed his Father, before feeding his stepmother and his new-born brother to the dogs. The servants were all well trained and properly terrified of him. Now he had a new wife and her servant to train.

"My Lords!" called Ramsey, when the music stopped for a moment between songs. "Thank you for attending my wedding to the lovely Alys Bolton, formerly of House Karstark. I'm sure we'll have many happy years together! But first . . . I've heard the southerners have a quaint wedding custom know as "the bedding". I think it would make a fine addition to our festivities!"

"WHAT!" yelled Harald Karstark "You can't sully my daughter like this!"

"She's not under your protection any more, Lord Karstark," replied Ramsey. "She's my wife now and has to do as I say. And I say, we will have a bedding."

"Father, it's all right," soothed Alys, as she came down from the High Table and strode to the center of the dance floor. "I don' mind." She gave her new husband an adoring smile.

"The Bedding!" cheered the men as they rushed forward to undress her.

Alys didn't resist the men at all. Though she did make the occasional squeal when they were too rough with their stripping her of her clothes. While the men were doing this to her, the women were doing the same to Ramsey. But the men were faster and they had lifted Alys' naked body into the air before the women had done the same to to him. And as they were carried off to their room he could hear her laughing. Finally, the women set him down inside the room with Alys and closed the door.

He turned to face his new wife, who was nakedly lying on top of the furs, not even trying to hide her self.

"You're not a virgin are you?" accused Ramsey.

"If you mean men, then yes, I am," replied Alys.

"But you have, with women?" asked Ramsey. "Your maid?"

"She helps take care of my Needs," confirmed Alys. "And now that were married, she can help me take care of your Needs too."

"And you don't mind?" asked Ramsey.

"My father has a maid that has been taking care of his Needs long before my mother died," replied Alys.

"Get up! Come here!" Commanded Ramsey, before pulling her into a kiss, while he held her hands behind her back. As he kissed her, he found the rougher he did it, the better she liked it.

Then, he had an idea and broke it off with her, before opening the door. There were several men out there listening to try to hear them.

"Lady Bolton requires the services of her maid, Colleen," said Ramsey.

When he shut the door and turned back to her, he saw that his new wife had been standing where she was surely seen by everyone outside the door. She's had made not effort to hide. She just smiled and step forward to kiss him some more. All too soon there was a knock at the door.

"You called for me milady?" asked Colleen, as she stepped inside the door and tried not to look at Ramsey's nakedness.

Ramsey had meant to shock his new wife, by ravishing her maid in front of her. Instead, his new wife shocked him as she helped him hold her down and didn't seem at all disgusted by the tortures he put the maid through. And when he was finished with Colleen, Alys was the one who pounced on him. Apparently helping him do that to the servant had excited her just as much as it did him. He had found his replacement for Myranda!

GoT6

For weeks Lord Smalljon Umber had been torn about the situation and what to do about it. But now that he had made a decision, it was time to act on it. The guards let him into the room where he kept the last of the Starks.

"Look. There's no easy way t' say this," began Smalljon. "Apparently, yer sister Sansa was killed when Stanis attacked Winterfell. I'm sorry. Yer sister is dead. Also, Lord Bolton has arranged fer his son to marry the Karstark girl to replace yer sister as his wife. He's trying to get Stark blood into his line t' make him more legitimate. But yer the last Stark. Yer sister, Arya hasn't been seen in years and is probably dead. An' I don' think yer crippled brother could survive long among the Wildlings, north of The Wall. So that makes you Lord Stark. And keeping you here is treason against the Boltons."

"So what are yer goin' t' do with me?" asked Rickon.

"For 8,000 years the Starks have ruled Winterfell," replied Smalljon. "An' for most of that time, we Umbers have been loyal to the Starks. We're not goin' t' stop now. But we canna let ya be the last Stark. We need ya to make more Starks. An' we need t' get you some place safer."

"So where-in' ya thinkin' o' taken him?" asked Osha.

"Bear Island," replied Smalljon. "Roose Bolton knows how loyal we Umbers are to the Starks. Soon or later he'll coming lookin' fer ya here. Also Lady Mormont is only a few years younger than ya. When yer older, perhaps ya could set up a betrothal with her? But this plan is not without danger. In order t' get there and avoid the Boltons, we'll have t' go through the New Gift. An' with Wildings on The Wall, we might run into a some o' them along the way.

So what is yer command, Lord Stark?"

Rickon and Osha looked at each other for a moment.

"iffen we run inta some o' the Free Folk, I reckon I could help with tha'," mused Osha.

"Then we'll go with yer plan, Lord Umber," Commanded Rickon.

"Thank you Lord Stark," said Smalljon. "We'll start out tonight at the hour o' the Wolf. Until then, Get some sleep."

GoT6

"I got just got a raven," said King Balon Greyjoy, to his daughter. "It seems your fool of a brother has died, Killed by that greenlander King Stanis."

"Yeah, he was already dead," grumbled Yara Greyjoy.

"What? Are we not Ironborn anymore?" asked Balon. "Aren't you supposed to say: What is dead can never die?"

"My brother died long ago," grumbled Yara. "That thing I found in the Dreadfort was **NOT** my brother. All my brothers died in your first Rebellion."

"And what would you have me do?" seethed Balon, "bend over and let the greenlanders do what ever they want to us? We are Iron Born! We pay the Iron Price for what we take. The War of Five Kings they called it. And I am the only King King left!"

"Yeah, but for how long?" asked Yara. "How long before the greenlander King comes after us like they did before."

"Then we will make them pay the Iron Price for our islands!" said Balon. "What else can we do?"

Yara thought for a minute then said: "I've heard there is a Dragon Queen in the East, a Targaryan with 3 dragons. Sooner or later, she'll come to Westeros. When she does, not matter what we do in the greenlands, she'll make us go the way of the Horres when she returns. But what if there were another way? What if I went to her with the Iron Fleet, helped bring here armies over here and helped her pay the Iron Price for the greenlands. And all I asked in return is for you to retain your crown. If we help someone else pay the Iron Price, aren't we technically paying the Iron Price ourselves for our freedom?"

Balon shook his head for a few moments before finally saying: "Very well, you can take the Iron Fleet and go help this Dragon Queen of yours pay the Iron Price for the green lands. But we remain Iron Born."

Yara nodded and walked out. She had a long sea voyage to prepare for.

GoT6

(I have heard that book Euron is awesome. But I thought show Euron was lame and unneeded. So I am writing him out. He does not show up to throw Balon off the bridge.)


End file.
